Technology and technique in a useful ethnography of movement

Abstract

Ethnographers have always had to be concerned with the movements of their informants, and this article identifies the continuing importance of bodily technique and skill in fieldwork from a mobilities perspective. It develops an approach to technology and technique from Marcel Mauss to consider the relationship between ethnography as a technological enterprise and as a set of bodily skills. Evidence is presented on technology as ‘gear’ amongst hill-walkers in north east Scotland, many of whom adhere to a ‘low-tech’ aesthetic. Drawing inspiration from them, the suggestion is made that ethnographers should be cautious of adopting ‘high-tech’ tools for their research. Examples of GPS (Global Positioning System) use amongst the hill-walkers and in cases from the literature illustrate these themes. Finally, the article argues that making the techniques of ethnographic research more broadly known might have the advantage of making the results more useable and accessible.

title = "Technology and technique in a useful ethnography of movement",

abstract = "Ethnographers have always had to be concerned with the movements of their informants, and this article identifies the continuing importance of bodily technique and skill in fieldwork from a mobilities perspective. It develops an approach to technology and technique from Marcel Mauss to consider the relationship between ethnography as a technological enterprise and as a set of bodily skills. Evidence is presented on technology as ‘gear’ amongst hill-walkers in north east Scotland, many of whom adhere to a ‘low-tech’ aesthetic. Drawing inspiration from them, the suggestion is made that ethnographers should be cautious of adopting ‘high-tech’ tools for their research. Examples of GPS (Global Positioning System) use amongst the hill-walkers and in cases from the literature illustrate these themes. Finally, the article argues that making the techniques of ethnographic research more broadly known might have the advantage of making the results more useable and accessible.",

keywords = "ethnography, technology, technique, walking, Scotland",

author = "Jo Vergunst",

year = "2011",

doi = "10.1080/17450101.2011.552900",

language = "English",

volume = "6",

pages = "203--219",

journal = "Mobilities",

issn = "1745-0101",

publisher = "Routledge",

number = "2",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Technology and technique in a useful ethnography of movement

AU - Vergunst, Jo

PY - 2011

Y1 - 2011

N2 - Ethnographers have always had to be concerned with the movements of their informants, and this article identifies the continuing importance of bodily technique and skill in fieldwork from a mobilities perspective. It develops an approach to technology and technique from Marcel Mauss to consider the relationship between ethnography as a technological enterprise and as a set of bodily skills. Evidence is presented on technology as ‘gear’ amongst hill-walkers in north east Scotland, many of whom adhere to a ‘low-tech’ aesthetic. Drawing inspiration from them, the suggestion is made that ethnographers should be cautious of adopting ‘high-tech’ tools for their research. Examples of GPS (Global Positioning System) use amongst the hill-walkers and in cases from the literature illustrate these themes. Finally, the article argues that making the techniques of ethnographic research more broadly known might have the advantage of making the results more useable and accessible.

AB - Ethnographers have always had to be concerned with the movements of their informants, and this article identifies the continuing importance of bodily technique and skill in fieldwork from a mobilities perspective. It develops an approach to technology and technique from Marcel Mauss to consider the relationship between ethnography as a technological enterprise and as a set of bodily skills. Evidence is presented on technology as ‘gear’ amongst hill-walkers in north east Scotland, many of whom adhere to a ‘low-tech’ aesthetic. Drawing inspiration from them, the suggestion is made that ethnographers should be cautious of adopting ‘high-tech’ tools for their research. Examples of GPS (Global Positioning System) use amongst the hill-walkers and in cases from the literature illustrate these themes. Finally, the article argues that making the techniques of ethnographic research more broadly known might have the advantage of making the results more useable and accessible.

KW - ethnography

KW - technology

KW - technique

KW - walking

KW - Scotland

U2 - 10.1080/17450101.2011.552900

DO - 10.1080/17450101.2011.552900

M3 - Article

VL - 6

SP - 203

EP - 219

JO - Mobilities

JF - Mobilities

SN - 1745-0101

IS - 2

ER -

Access to Document

This is an electronic version of an article published in Vergunst, J 2011, 'Technology and technique in a useful ethnography of movement', Mobilities, vol 6, no. 2, pp. 203-219. Mobilities is available online at: www.tandfonline.com with the open URL of your article http://www.tandfonline.com/openurl?genre=article&issn=1745-0101&volume=6&issue=2&spage=203